Let's Talk About the Beast: The NFC East

The NFC East used to be the toughest division in all of football. Some adoringly called it “The Beast” because teams spent four months beating on each other before the playoffs. It seemed that it was almost automatic that the division would put in at least two teams into the playoffs and on occasion they would put in three teams.

This year it is going to be a lot different.

The Cowboys, even though they don’t want to admit it, are in a rebuilding process. They bet the farm that Roy Williams is going to be a number one guy at receiver. Detroit thought that he would be a number one, but he quickly gave way to Calvin Williams and even for one season Mike Furrey.

Toy Romo loves being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys for what it brings him, not for what the actual position and the prestige are. Sure he puts up numbers and the Cowboys are tough to beat until Thanksgiving, but after that, it’s all downhill and they really are not a threat.

The defense continues to get older and will get slower. The offensive line isn’t that great and Romo is going to spend most of the year running for his life.

Bottom line, expect the Cowboys to battle it out with the Redskins for worst team in the division.

The opening of their new billionaire dollar stadium is going to be really fun to watch.

It’ll be a lot like watching the Yankees lose in a half empty stadium.

It will be a thing of beauty.

The Redskins… What can we really say about the Redskins? They spend a ton of money, hardly ever make the playoffs and there is absolutely no loyalty really in the organization.

Albert Haynesworth is going to be an absolute detriment to the team. He only plays well during contract years and now that he has $100M in the bank, you know he’s going to go out there and just job and maybe make a tackle if someone runs right into him.

Outside of that, don’t expect much from him.

Jason Campbell has had no really backing the entire time he’s been in the league. He’s had to learn three different playbooks in five seasons and each one deep and very complex.

It is not his fault, it’s a lot to learn. Great quarterbacks in this league have had time under the same system, they’ve learned the system and even have helped mold their system to better suit them.

Jason Campbell has not had that yet.

Oh yeah, expect Clinton Portis to miss at least eight games this year too.

The Giants no longer have a big play threat on offense and teams can go up and load eight guys in the box and force Eli Manning beat them without a top class receiver.

The Giants are going to have to rely on their running game and their defense to win ball games. After Plax went out in November with a self inflicted gunshot wound.

Hold on for a second, I need to stop laughing.

(18 minutes pass)

I had to take my dog, Dawkins, for a walk real fast, I didn’t laugh for eighteen minutes. I’m not that cold blooded of a person.

But the Giants wore down on the way into the playoffs and in the playoffs and they got beat by a team returning to claim its throne.

The Eagles improved in every position on where they had questions last year.

The loss of Brian Dawkins is going to hurt from an emotional and leadership standpoint.  Stewart Bradley who has just as much heart and respect that Dawkins had is primed to step up into the position and he will fill it nicely.

Don’t get me wrong, losing Dawkins is going be weird. For the last 13 years #20 roamed the defensive secondary, he was a leader and an enforcer and in his shoes is going to be Sean Jones and Quinton Demps.

Both are capable players and Demps is going to be a multi-time pro bowler before it is all said and done, but it’s going to take some time before he can even come close to filling the shoes of Dawk.

Defensively though the Eagles are deep, they are young, they are fast and they are playmakers. I do not see a single hole on this team defensively. The whole bend, but do not break defense that has been present for the past few seasons will not be around this year.

This year look forward to a “We’re going to stop, bring it!” style of defense. I think Jim Johnson is going to release the hounds and offenses aren’t going to know who or what is coming at them and from when or where.

There is just too much speed on the defensive side of the ball to hold some sort of exotic package.

On offense, let’s just get ready for a lot of points to be scored.

McNabb has weapons at receiver, tight end, running back and it would be shocking if the offensive line gave up more than 15 sacks this season.

McNabb has improved his accuracy year after year and don’t expect this season to be anything different.

Maclin, Jackson, Curtis, Avant and company at receiver are going to open things up all over the field. Guys willing to go deep, going over the middle, catch the ball and run with it a long way afterward.

Running back is finally deep and Brian Westbrook is going to be able to get his legs saved for the end of the season and playoffs and Leonard Weaver is finally going to get a shot at being a big contributor in an offense.

McCoy is going to get plenty of time to get up and get going and he is going to have to take the ball and run with and show the Eagles that he is going to be the running back of the future. The last couple of guys (Moats and Hunt) like that never really panned.

This time McCoy could be the answer.

The line, do we even need to talk about how devastating that line is going to be this year?

I don’t think so.

They are going to keep McNabb upright, they are going to open holes for the running backs.

Expect magic Eagles fans.

Expect magic.